Cooktop safety arrangement

ABSTRACT

An arrangement of cooperating cooktop devices includes a receiving device mounted to the bottom of cookware, and a support device extending above a heating element and adapted to be removably engaged with the receiving device so as to prevent displacement of the cookware from its supported position over the heating element. The support device is in the form of finger members ( 16, 18, 20, 22 ) spaced above a gas burner element ( 28 ) for engaging the receiving device. The receiving device is in the form of a bracket or plate ( 12 ) that defines channels ( 30, 32 ) through which the finger members can be slidably engaged.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a cooktop safety arrangement, and, inparticular, to an arrangement of cooperating cooktop devices forpreventing cookware from slipping or otherwise being inadvertentlydisplaced from the grate (also known as a trivet) of a stove or cooktop.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

The kitchen may be a dangerous place when young children, andparticularly toddlers, are roaming the kitchen looking to satisfy theircuriosity or hunger. A significant danger is posed by cookware, such ascooking pots and frying pans, that are present on a stove during or justafter cooking when the food or liquid contained therein is hot. Youngchildren are likely to reach up, especially where the handle of thecookware is protruding to the front of the stove, and pull the cookingpot or frying pan off the stove, with the most feared outcome being thatthey spill the contents over themselves.

A further problem with unsecured cookware is that it may require asecond hand to hold the pot or pan when it is desired to stir thecontents thereof. This second hand may, however, be being used for othercooking purposes, and so not be available to hold the pot or pan duringstirring. Stirring a pot or pan without a steadying second hand maycause the pot or pan to shift dangerously or to spill its contents.

A still further problem relates to gas stoves in moving vehicles, suchas marine vessels, aircraft or recreational land vehicles like motorhomes or camper vans, where an item of cookware is prone to slippingfrom a stove grate by the effect of acceleration, deceleration, rockingand bumps encountered by the moving vehicle.

There have been numerous attempts over many years to address theseproblems, but many of the devices have been complex in structure anddifficult to operate, whilst other simpler devices have lackedreliability.

For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,583,384 discloses an open-topped,relatively shallow receptacle adapted to hold cooking utensils againstlateral movement on a stove grate or cooking grid, and a plurality ofcircumferentially spaced anchoring members projecting downwardly fromthe receptacle for removably engaging given ones of a plurality ofradial bars of the grate.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,806 discloses a safety ring that depends downwardlyfrom the bottom of an item of cookware, the safety ring including aplurality of chair members that are annularly spaced apart such that thechair members will fit a three, four, six or eight pronged gas stove topgrate. Each chair member is generally U-shaped and receives therewithina respective prong of the grate at a different angle to any other chair,thereby preventing lateral movement of the cookware on the grate. U.S.Pat. No. 4,745,905 discloses a cooking utensil holder having a firstring with securing means therein that is placed on a cooking surfacehaving holes, and a second ring spaced above the first ring by uprightsupport members. The first ring also has downwardly depending attachmentpins that securably engage the holes in the cooking surface. A cookingutensil is spaced inside the holder and a plurality of adjustment meansmounted on the support members are adjusted until they contact thecooking utensil and hold it firmly on or over the stove grate.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,960,134 discloses a restraining device comprising anexpandable circumference metallic cylinder having means formedintegrally therewith for removably securing the cylinder to a stovegrate, the cooking utensil being encircled, and restrained from slidingoff the grate, by the device.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a simple yetreliable arrangement that can be built-in to cookware and stove gratesprior to their sale at minimal cost, and which will prevent the cookwarefrom slipping or otherwise being inadvertently displaced from thegrates.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an arrangementof cooperating cooktop devices which overcomes or substantiallyameliorates the shortcomings of the aforementioned prior art, or atleast provides a useful alternative.

Accordingly, the present invention provides an arrangement ofcooperating cooktop devices comprising a receiving device mounted to thebottom of cookware, and a support device extending above a heatingelement and adapted to be removably engaged with the receiving device soas to prevent displacement of the cookware from its supported positionover the heating element.

Preferably, the support device comprises finger means spaced above a gasburner element for engaging the receiving device.

It is preferred that the receiving device comprises channel meansthrough which the finger means can be slidably engaged.

In a preferred form, the finger means comprise a plurality of fingermembers mounted to an outer support frame of a stove rack removablyengaged with a stove top, the finger members projecting upwardly andinwardly from the outer support frame.

Preferably, the channel means comprises a pair of parallel, spacedapart, channels defined by a plate mounted to the bottom of cookware.

It is preferred that there are two finger members which slidably engagerespective channels of the channel means.

In a further preferred form, there is a first pair of parallel spacedapart finger members mounted to a first location of the outer supportframe and having free end portions projecting in a first direction, anda second pair of parallel spaced apart finger members mounted to asecond location of the outer support frame and having free end portionsprojecting in a second direction.

Preferably, the free end portions of the first and second pairs offinger members project in opposite direction and are out of alignment.

Alternatively, the free end portions of the first and second pairs offmger members project in opposite direction and are in alignment.

In a further preferred form, the free end portions of the first andsecond pairs of finger members project in the same direction.

The cookware is preferably a pan.

The stove rack may include one or more first tabs extending from a firstside thereof, and one or more second tabs extending from an oppositesecond side thereof, the or each second tab having spring meanscooperating therewith, and the stove top may include one or more slotsfor receiving the respective one or more tabs at each of the first andsecond sides.

Preferably, the spring means comprises a coil spring cooperating withthe or each second tab.

SUMMARY OF DRAWINGS

In order that the invention may be readily understood and put intopractical effect, reference will now be made to the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an isometric top view of a cooperating cooktop devicearrangement according to a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a front side view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a right side view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detail view of the circled area A of thearrangement as shown in FIG. 3,

FIG. 6 is a sectional view through B-B of the arrangement as shown inFIG. 3,

FIG. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the circled area C of thearrangement as shown in FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detail view of the circled area H of thearrangement as shown in FIG. 6,

FIG. 9 is an exploded isometric view of the arrangement shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 10 is a front side view of the pan used in the arrangement shown inFIG. 1,

FIG. 11 is a right side view of the pan shown in FIG. 10,

FIG. 12 is a bottom plan view of the pan shown in FIG. 10,

FIG. 13 is an isometric bottom view of the pan shown in FIG. 10,

FIG. 14 is a plan view of the stove rack used in the arrangement shownin FIG. 1,

FIG. 15 is a front side view of the stove rack shown in FIG. 14,

FIG. 16 is a right side view of the stove rack shown in FIG. 14,

FIG. 17 is an isometric top view of stove rack shown in FIG. 14,

FIG. 18 is an isometric top view of an alternative stove rack that maybe used in the arrangement shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 19 is a plan view of the stove top used in the arrangement shown inFIG. 1,

FIG. 20 is a sectional view through D-D of the stove top as shown inFIG. 19,

FIG. 21 is an enlarged detail view of the circled area F of the stovetop as shown in FIG. 19,

FIG. 22 is an enlarged detail view of the circled area G of the stovetop as shown in FIG. 20, and

FIG. 23 is an enlarged detail view of the circled area E of the stovetop as shown in FIG. 20.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The arrangement shown variously in FIGS. 1 to 23 comprises a receivingdevice, in the form of a bracket or plate 12, mounted to the bottom ofcookware in the form of a cooking pan 14, and a support device, in theform of finger members 16, 18, 20, 22, mounted to an outer support frame24 of a stove rack 26 removably engaged with a stove top 27. The fingermembers 16, 18, 20, 22 project upwardly and inwardly from the outersupport frame 24 so as to be spaced above a gas burner element 28.

The plate 12 and finger members 16, 18, 20, 22 are, in use, removablyinterengaged so as to prevent displacement of the cooking pan 14 fromits supported position over the gas burner element 28. For this purpose,the plate 12 defines a pair of parallel, spaced apart, channels 30, 32through which a pair of the finger members are slidably engaged.

A first pair of finger members 16, 18 are parallel aligned and have freeend portions that project in a first direction. A second pair of fmgermembers 20, 22 are similarly aligned and project in an opposite seconddirection to that of the first pair 16, 18. Each pair of fmger memberscan engage separate cookware.

Removably engaged to the stove top 27 shown in FIG. 1 are two stoveracks 26 a, 26 b. As part of a first stove rack 26 a there is a firstpair of parallel spaced apart finger members 16, 18 mounted to a firstlocation of the outer support frame 24 which have free end portionsprojecting in a first direction. There is also a second pair of parallelspaced apart fmger members 20, 22 mounted to a second location of theouter support frame 24 which have free end portions projecting in asecond direction.

The free end portions of the first and second pairs of fmger members 16,18, 20, 22 which are part of the first stove rack 26 a project inopposite direction and are out of alignment.

In the second stove rack 26 b, the free end portions of the first andsecond pairs of finger members 16, 18, 20, 22 project in oppositedirection and are in alignment.

Although not shown, the invention includes an embodiment of stove rackin which the free end portions of the first and second pairs of fmgermembers project in the same direction.

There are, in this embodiment, for each stove rack 26 a pair of firsttabs 36, 38 extending from a first side thereof, and a pair of secondtabs 40, 42 extending from an opposite second side thereof. Each of thetwo second tabs 40, 42 have spring means, in the form of a coil spring44, cooperating therewith.

The stove top 27 includes a pair of slots 46, 48 at opposite sidesthereof for receiving the respective pairs of tabs at each of the firstand second sides of a stove rack. When so received, the tabs areprevented from sliding out of the slots by the pressure of the coilsprings.

In use, a cooking pan 14 is in a supported position, say, duringcooking, over the gas burner element 28 by having the fmger members 16,18 engage the channels 30 and 32, respectively, in a manner as describedabove.

To install a stove rack 26 onto the stove top 27, the side of the stoverack having the pair of tabs 40, 42 with the coil springs 44 ispositioned alongside the facing side of the stove top having a pair ofslots 46, 48, and the tabs are slid into the slots against a resistancepressure exerted by the coil springs, which compress as the tabsprogress into the slots.

The stove rack is then laid horizontally so that the other pair of tabs36, 38 on the other side of the rack 26 can be fitted into theirrespective slots 46, 48. Upon release of the stove rack, the coilsprings hold the stove rack in position on the stove top.

To engage the cooking pan 14 with the stove rack 26, the pan is broughtinto alignment of its pair of channels 30, 32 with a pair of fingermembers 16, 18 or 20, 22 of the stove rack, and the pan is then moved sothat the finger members enter the channels until the pan is safelysupported over the burner element 28.

After cooking operations have ceased and the pan needs to be removedfrom the stovetop, the pan is gripped by its handle 50 and movedsideways sufficiently so that the fmger members exit their respectivechannels.

To remove the stove rack from the stove top, say, for cleaning, the sideof the stove rack having the coil springs is pushed in a manner so as tofurther compress the coil springs and so as to allow the tabs on theother side of the stove rack to exit their respective slots. That otherside can then be lifted so that the tabs with the coil springs exittheir respective slots.

It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the art that variousmodifications may be made in details of design, construction and use ofthe cooktop safety arrangement described above without departing fromthe scope or ambit of the present invention.

For instance, the heating element need not be a gas burner element, butmay instead be an electrical burner element.

1. An arrangement of cooperating cooktop devices comprising a receivingdevice mounted to the bottom of cookware, and a support device extendingabove a heating element and adapted to be removably engaged with thereceiving device so as to prevent displacement of the cookware from itssupported position over the heating element.
 2. The arrangementaccording to claim 1 wherein the support device comprises finger meansspaced above a gas burner element for engaging the receiving device. 3.The arrangement according to claim 2 wherein the receiving devicecomprises channel means through which the finger means can be slidablyengaged.
 4. The arrangement according to claim 3 wherein the fingermeans comprise a plurality of finger members mounted to an outer supportframe of a stove rack removably engaged with a stove top, the fingermembers projecting upwardly and inwardly from the outer support frame.5. The arrangement according to claim 4 wherein the channel meanscomprises a pair of parallel, spaced apart, channels defined by a platemounted to the bottom of cookware.
 6. The arrangement according to claim5 wherein there are two finger members which slidably engage respectivechannels of the channel means.
 7. The arrangement according to claim 6wherein there is a first pair of parallel spaced apart finger membersmounted to a first location of the outer support frame and having freeend portions projecting in a first direction, and a second pair ofparallel spaced apart finger members mounted to a second location of theouter support frame and having free end portions projecting in a seconddirection.
 8. The arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the free endportions of the first and second pairs of finger members project inopposite direction and are out of alignment.
 9. The arrangementaccording to claim 7 wherein the free end portions of the first andsecond pairs of finger members project in opposite direction and are inalignment.
 10. The arrangement according to claim 7 wherein the free endportions of the first and second pairs of fmger members project in thesame direction.
 11. The arrangement according to claim 4 wherein thestove rack includes one or more first tabs extending from a first sidethereof, and one or more second tabs extending from an opposite secondside thereof, the or each second tab having spring means cooperatingtherewith, and the stove top may include one or more slots for receivingthe respective one or more tabs at each of the first and second sides.12. The arrangement according to claim 11 wherein the spring meanscomprises a coil spring cooperating with the or each second tab.